It is time for SA to seize the agenda for job creation and economic participation

AMID ongoing global transformation, employment, education and business innovation constitute essential pillars in promoting sustainable socioeconomic progress and maintaining long-term stability. I believe the private and public sectors complement each other in supporting this progress toward politically stable societies and cohesive economies.

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Over the course of South Africa’s Presidency of the G20, businesses and policymakers have created a shared agenda for job creation and economic participation. The recommendations of the B20 Employment and Education Task Force address several challenges to tackling the current economic complexities, including

H Promoting job creation through flexible policy measures;

@ Facilitating business-led employment incentives; and

@ Supporting inclusivity and resilience in labour markets.

The B20’s Employment and Education Task Force resolved that collectively we must go beyond the “what” and provide practical “how” suggestions through consistent business-to-government dialogue.

The Task Force believes government and business can shape the megatrends—digitalisation, environmental pressures and demographics, for example, to connect more people to opportunities, be more inclusive and improve employment outcomes. This requires revisiting outdated policies and adapting to today’s landscape.

Central to our recommendations is promoting a business agenda that encourages job growth and increases labour market participation, important for political stability and social cohesion. The Task Force seeks an alignment of finance, education and employment with job creation policies.

As working practices evolve, we look for ways to collaborate with governments in shaping regulation that supports new employment forms and, particularly, helps micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) thrive. As an imperative, this includes pursuing women's economic empowerment by increasing female labour force participation, thereby unlocking substantial global economic gains.